"Things will not be the same": Russian FM Lavrov on future relations with West

Moscow [Russia], July 28 : Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has stated that the West will eventually seek to restore relations with Moscow, but warned that the dynamics will fundamentally change, according to the Russian state news agency TASS.

"I see no point in avoiding anyone. If someone is avoiding you, boycotting you, walking out when you are speaking, well, let them do that. But they will get over it someday. And when they are through with that and want to communicate with us, things will not be the same," Lavrov said while speaking at the Terra Scientia National Educational Youth Forum, according to TASS.

He asserted that when the West eventually seeks to resume ties, Russia will be "very particular" about the basis on which those relations are built. "So, when - I am sure that it will be 'when' rather than 'if' - they come to their senses and invite us to resume relations, we will be very particular about the principles these relations will be built on," Lavrov emphasised.

As per TASS, the top Russian diplomat underlined Moscow's deep skepticism over Western assurances, citing past instances of what he termed as betrayal and hypocrisy. "A thought once uttered is a lie," he said, quoting poet Fyodor Tyutchev. "And when they utter a word, when they promise us something - that too is a lie."

Lavrov referred to the events of February 2014, when officials from Germany, Poland, and France allegedly failed to uphold guarantees during the political upheaval in Kiev, and to April 2022, when he claimed the West pressured Ukraine to abandon the Istanbul agreements to prolong the conflict and "weaken Russia."

His remarks come amid heightened military tensions, with Russia's Defence Ministry reporting on Sunday that nearly 100 Ukrainian drones were intercepted over Russian airspace overnight, one of the largest UAV raids in recent weeks, RT reported.

According to the ministry, 67 drones were shot down over the Bryansk, Smolensk, and Kaluga regions. An additional 30 UAVs were intercepted across southern Russia, targeting the Volgograd, Rostov, Voronezh, and Kursk regions, as well as the Crimean Peninsula. Several others were downed near Moscow and within the Nizhny Novgorod, Oryol, and Tambov regions.

Regional authorities reported no casualties or significant damage. Acting Governor of Rostov Region Yury Slyusar confirmed there were no injuries. Smolensk Governor Vasily Anokhin acknowledged the drone raid but stated there was "no immediate information about damage or victims," according to RT.

In the Volgograd Region, drone debris damaged a section of overhead electric lines on the railway in Oktyabrsky District, local officials confirmed.

Ukraine has launched repeated UAV strikes deep into Russian territory in recent months, with several incidents involving hits on residential buildings and civilian infrastructure. The Kremlin has condemned these actions as "terrorist actions" that deliberately target civilians, RT reported.

The latest wave of drone attacks comes shortly after a new round of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine was held in Istanbul earlier this week. While no ceasefire was reached, both sides made progress on humanitarian issues, including agreements on the exchange of prisoners of war and civilians.

Russia has reiterated its willingness to pursue a diplomatic resolution but maintains that any deal must "address the root causes of the conflict" and its "long-standing security concerns," RT noted.

Reflecting ongoing efforts toward dialogue, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on July 22 that the next round of direct peace talks between Ukraine and Russia will be held in Turkiye on Wednesday, according to a video statement released on Telegram, as reported by RT.

Moscow and Kyiv have already conducted two rounds of negotiations in Istanbul earlier this year. During their last meeting, both sides exchanged draft memorandums outlining potential roadmaps toward resolving the conflict and also agreed on fresh prisoner-of-war exchanges, RT stated.

"I discussed with Rustem Umerov the preparation of the [POW] exchange and another meeting in Turkiye with the Russian side. Umerov reported that the meeting is planned for Wednesday," Zelensky said in the statement.

Rustem Umerov, the secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, who also led Kyiv's delegation at the previous rounds of talks, was cited by Zelensky as the official coordinating the preparations for the upcoming meeting.

RT noted that earlier reports from TASS, citing an insider source, had indicated the talks would take place on Thursday. However, Zelensky confirmed Wednesday as the planned date for the dialogue, according to the latest update.

The upcoming discussions mark a continuation of the diplomatic engagement between the two countries amid ongoing efforts to resolve the conflict through negotiation, RT added.

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